David bradley



D. BRADLEY. THILL GOUPLING.

PatentedMar. 23, 1897.

Nitin Smarts r DAVID BRADLEY, OF CARTWRIGHT, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES S. REEKIE, OF BOISSEVAIN, CANADA.

THILLHCOUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 579,289, dated March 23, 189'?. Application tiled December 11, 1896. Serial No. 615,298. (No model.)

To all L1/71,0711. may concern.' r

Be it known that I, DAVID BRADLEY, a sub ject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing1 at Cartwright, Manitoba, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it apper- Io tains to make and use the same.

This invention has reference to a novel construction in a thill-coupling, the object being to provide a device of this character whereby the thills can be readily applied and removed and which also acts as an antirattlin g device.

The invention consists in the features of construction hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l` is a top plan of the axle and a portion of the thills coupled with this invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of a portion of the axle and the coupling member attached thereto. Fig. is a perspective detail View of the spring, tongue, and catch. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the thill-coupling, taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. l.

Referring now to said drawings, l indicates the axle, and 2 a thill. The coupling member 3, attached to the axle, consists of a plate 4, having a forward extension 5, provided with the laterally-extending pintle 6. It is understood, of course, that the pintles of the two coupling members of the axle extend in the same direction. The said coupling member 3 is held upon the axle by means of the clips 7 of ordinary construction, in connection with the cross-pieces 8. In this way it is seen that these coupling members can be attached to any axle by means of the clips ordinarily used-that is to say, they can be attached without special preparation for the purpose, since the plate of the coupling member can be placed in any position and securely held by the clips. A spring 9 is also secured to the axle in connection with this member 3 by means of a tongue 10, that is secured to said 5o spring and is situated between the plate 4 of the member and the lower face of the axle.

The end of this spring stands against the end of the pintle 6 in the manner shown and therefore prevents the coupling member of the thills from leaving the pintle, as well as acting as an antirattling device by pressing against the thill-coupling member. The tongue l0 is also provided with a spring-catch ll, by means of which the spring 9 can be held in a retracted position to allow the thills 6o to be coupled and uncoupled.

When it is desired to couple the thills to the axle, the spring-fingers 9 are pressed back until they are engaged by the spring-catches ll, whereupon the thills can be placed upon the pintles in an obvious manner. When the spring-fingers 9 are released and pressed againstthe pintles 6 and against the coupling members of the thills, they serve to hold the members in their coupled position and also 7o to prevent rattling. To uncouple the thills, it is only necessary to press the fingers 9 back until they are held by the catches.

It is seen from the foregoing description that the plate 4 is adjustably fastened to the axle 75 by means of the clips, so that the plates 4 cannot only be fastened to conform tov the distance between the ends of the thills, but, further, they can be fastened upon the axles of vehicles that are not especially prepared 8o therefor.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a thill-coupling, an axle member having a forward extension provided with a laterally-extending pintle, a spring-nger situated to engage the end of said pintle, a springcatch to engage said spring-linger when the latter is retracted, and athillcoupling mem- 9o ber.

2. Inathill-coupling,an axle-couplingmember provided with a forward extension having a laterally-extending pintle, a spring-finger extending in the rear of said pintle and abutting against the end of the same, and a springcatch to engage said spring-finger Vwhen the latter is retracted.

3. In a thill-couplin g, the combination with an axle, of a coupling member consisting of roo a plate having a forward extension provided with a laterally-extending pintle, a tongue 1o ing pntle, a spring-finger situated to engage the end of said pintle, a spring-catch to engage said spring-linger when the latter is extended and a thill-eoupling member.

In testimony whereof I have signed this speceaton in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.v

DAVID BRADLEY.

Witnesses:

. D. D. YOUNG,

S. ROWE. 

